Soop's welcoming kitchen for the sharing of...

Morning all, or afternoon I suppose now. Just popping in to wish you all a pleasant day, as pleasant as it can be under the circumstances. Take care everyone for you all.

Lovely flowers GF to brighten the day. And no, I cannot believe Galen would misbehave as reported by soop ?

Mother nature is being particularly misleading in the Shire today. From the window seat we have blue skies, stilled tree tops and lovely birdsong. Three stories down we have a nasty cold wind and it feels arctic compared to yesterday. No matter, I donned an extra fleece and all the raised bed paths are now newly replenished with a fresh top dressing of wood chippings. And then a short sharp (and very heavy) shower refreshing both yesterdays seed sowing and this mornings full lines of washing. I am now home and in clean dry clothing.

I hope everyone coping with maladies, allergies, shopping and other woes have a more relaxed day. I shall now try a little Bach on the keyboard. Mr Izabella continues to be grateful the aforementioned has headphones.

Hello the kitchen! Well what an eventful morning! We had to have an emergency visit from our plumber, who is also a friend and former neighbour, when the expansion vessel for our sealed hot water system fell off the wall in the airing cupboard. I thought I heard a funny noise in the night but I thought it was DH! Apparently, it had wanted repressurising and whereas we usually manages to keep an eye on these things - we hadn’t, so the weight of water in it had brought it off the wall. The walls in these newish houses are not as reliable as those in a 1930’s semi! Anyway, all is well now, hopefully, but it did kind of knock social distancing rules for six for an hour or two. We were lucky he is on furlough at the moment, or we might have been in big trouble, but it was a little bit of excitement we could have done without!

Soop my DD bought me a garden kneeler for Christmas. They all thought it a strange and rather amusing thing to drop hints for, but it is the best thing since sliced bread and I love being able to use the handles to push myself up off my poor old knees. Like yours, when you’ve stopped kneeling on it, you can turn it up the other way and it becomes a seat! That is an epic sum that Matt has raised - very well done to him!

N&G I feel for Jackson - my hands were in a shocking state, knuckles raw and split and skin dry as a bone, until a week ago when I abandoned the handcream and started using good old fashioned Vaseline on them and it has worked a treat. Doesn’t get rid of the crepey wrinkles (not a problem for Jackson!), but the skin is very healthy!

Life is full of nothing in particular at the moment, but I am making fruit cake this afternoon, so I will leave some in the kitchen if it’s edible! TOYA!

for you, maddyone and a virtual hug.

Dear Izabella, MacSporran has been playing the piano. The sheet music reads...'Perchance To Dream' - Ivor Novello - which seems pertinent.

Greyduster Another buggeration for you to contend with. I'm so relieved that the nice plumber managed to fix the problem.
And yes...fruit cake would be a real treat right now. Will there be virtually sufficient for us lot? We are very grateful.

I am about to log off. Thinking of you ALL and hoping that we'll meet again tomorrow.

Soop and Greyduster - garden kneelers. Aren't they wonderful? I inherited one 22 years ago and it was 2nd hand then. It's still going strong, although a bit wobbly now (like the new owner probably). It has saved me so many problems whilst rummaging in the borders (nothing to do with Scotland!!) and I think every garden/er should have one. Yours is obviously a very posh Kneeler With Pockets...oooh, I say! Perhaps when you have given it a proper test drive, you'll be able to recommend the make......hopefully it's not called A** over T** - but who knows, that might catch on!

Poor little boy with cracked and sore hands. What a good idea, Vaseline. Maybe that's something I could try courtesy of Amazon - since I've not seen it in France. My poor hands might be squeaky clean but they really could do with a good treatment (each night plus cotton gloves) to get them back to something not modelled by a 17th century. kitchen maid !

Doodle you say how much you like to read in bed but can never remember, the next day, what you've read. Would it be a good idea to ask a new and very keen Galen for a diagnosis, I wonder. My DH will tell you that if you fall asleep and the book hits you on the head, you might be concussed - no wonder you forget ! Rather than wear a cycle helmet in bed, he has changed to paperbacks and now finds reading in bed far less hazardous.
Izabella your talk of the Shire the other day and seeing lots of little wobbly lambs made me very tearful about my own little lambs that I used to have every Spring in Normandy. How I loved them and their darling furry knees and their old fisherman's jumper oiled wool smell. Lovely that you play the piano. A friend sent me some video of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber playing (on t.v. recently I think) music from Phantom of the Opera. And he actually made a couple of errors - even I heard that - and he apologised and said his playing was no longer what it should be! But who wants perfection when one can actually sit down and play.....it was wonderful.

Good afternoon dear kitchen friends, all quiet here in Brittany this afternoon. The very wild wind from yesterday has calmed and it's sunny and comfortable. I'm going to shop on Wednesday to coincide with collecting a prescription for DH. One of our near neighbours who is very traditional Breton and who is rather shy made sure, in a brief conversation, that we understood how the French paperwork in terms of leaving the house had been further tightened up since 29th March. Thought that was very kind of him

I'm sure our lockdown in France will be at least extended to the end of April and think that makes sense. Hoping that you are all getting through each day as comfortably as you can. Only the occasional wobble here just now. Until next time, sending love and kind wishes xxxx

Hi everybody,just to let you know the dietician has phoned my daughter and a plan is in place for Henry so fingers crossed things will start to improve.
Soop,I bought my husband one of those kneelers after his accident last year and he loves it.
Greyduster,I would love a piece of fruit cake.Had planned to make a tea loaf today but realised I had lent my loaf tin to my daughter.I say lent,I will probably never see it again so will add one to my Asda order.
NandG,I do feel for Jackson.I bought DGD some handcream made with goats milk which was really good.
Stay safe everyone and thinking of you all.x

It is the most lovely sunny day here and breezy too, I've stripped the bed and the sheets are billowing in the breeze.
DH has been doing some gardening, he planted some poppy seeds that his late father gave me ages ago. Our DS brought us a packet of wild flower seeds from Wyoming last year, so those have been planted too.
* N&G* poor Jackson, my hands were red and a bit cracked last week, a few applications of Vaseline did the trick. I also like the Body Shop hemp hand cream.

Glad you sorted your water problems - I did have a giggle when you thought your DH was the source of the funny noise ? You were very lucky to have a furloughed plumber to hand.
Very pleased to hear that the dietician has helped your GS Susan you must be mightily relieved. A tea loaf sounds a good idea, sorry that you haven't got your tin. The Asda baking tins are good, I've bought a few over recent years.
A lovely picture GrandmaFrench
Your son has done really wellsoop and is to be congratulated.

I should know by now I should not stray from the kitchen. Apparently I wash clothes too often and I should not wash on a Sunday.

I went to a store which sells food and clothes to buy oranges for friends as well as goodies for myself. I saved them money because being Scottish I was not paying nearly £3 for 4 oranges. I will have to go to a more downmarket establishment I think.
TOYA

Thank you ladies for all your advice for Jacksons hands. We tried Vaseline but when you're 8 you tend to make everything sort of tacky :-)

Thank goodness for Amazon, we have sent him some special soap which is better for delicate skin and some hand cream and then today we sent some hand sanitiser to allow him to avoid having to use soap and water all the time.

Hopefully that should work.

Eeuw!
Not wash on a Sunday? ??
Surely that sort of thinking went out even among the Wee Frees a generation ago?
You get all sorts on GN

Poor Jackson. Hope his hands get better soon N&G . Mine are sore too. All this washing.
grandmafrench I don’t think I’m concussed (mind you it might give me a nasty knock as I read on my iPad). I think it’s more likely that I fall asleep quicker than I think ?
susan glad your daughter is getting help for little Henry.
TOYA ?

Evening All. A busy day spent doing I have no idea what other than a very enjoyable walk this morning. A local nursery delivered compost, seeds and plants this evening. Only ordered this morning. We’re lucky to have them close by.

All strange noises here are attributed to Mr C greyduster so I totally understand the logic. Pleased there was a plumber available in these strange times. Apparently ours (neighbours grandson) is also available for emergencies, reassuring to know.

What have you been up to charley? Surely not doing laundry? My ma in law would never hang out washing on a Sunday, didn’t stop her doing it ready to hang out very early on Monday .

There seems to be a glass of chilled white with my name on it. TOYA and please be careful out there.

Another total garden kneeler fan!
I probably couldn’t get up without it and would be obliged to do my weeding etc bent double with disastrous effects on my lower back.
In fact I wish I had had one inside yesterday as I managed to somehow take a nosedive onto my utility room floor ! But fortunately my face landed on the plastic 1l bottle of milk I was returning to the fridge and so I didn’t end up with two black eyes (or more expensive, broken glasses -these were £700+.) and best of all, the bottle didn’t burst!
Just very sore knees, hands and arms, but the thing was I could not get up. I rolled onto my back and sat up and could just manage to slide along the floor into the kitchen on my bottom where I was eventually able to heave myself to my feet using a door handle and a cupboard handle!
No injuries but my “amour propre” severely dented and felt very old and fragile for the rest of the day.
This morning I “attended” the funeral of a very dear friend in Essex. I say “attended” but I never left my house as it was actually streamed because of the numbers ban on funerals.
It was strange and just a bit like being at the back of a funeral where you are not one of the immediate family.
Tears were shed of course but I had armed myself with a cup of coffee and two chocolate Hobnobs which I hope did not constitute a lack of respect.
There will be more like this to come I fear.

Maw, so sorry about your fall and the day's funeral events. This must have been very difficult time with mixed emotions. Strange times. Sending a <<hug>>??
Hoping you are not too sore and shaken up. Take care of yourself xxx

Maw thank goodness you are unhurt. Take care - after what has been a difficukt day for you

Good morning to the kitchen. DH’s district nurse recommended Child’s Farm moisturiser ( I got it in Tesco) for very dry skin on his legs but it’s good for hands too. It is for children, so sensitive. Grapefruit and tea tree perfume. We like it.
My tall cold frame arrived yesterday, so my seedlings don’t have to live in my kitchen any longer and hopefully won’t get forced. Digging today - new vegetable beds to construct. Pass the ibuprofen please!
TOYA

Blimey maw, just be careful in there as well as out there. Pleased no serious injury. What a day you had, sad though it was it feels right you could join with the farewell to a dear friend. Take care today.

Insomnia does literally have a silver lining sometimes. Deciding to get up and do something constructive at 0345 my eyes were treated to the most wondrous sight. Our world had become a silvered calm and I was immediately reminded of that Moody Blues track containing the words ^Coldhearted orb that rules the night and removes the colours from our sight^. Everything was bathed in a silver luster. I then looked at Luna herself. What a sight. Never in all my life have I seen such a clear moon. Finding the Binns my eyes feasted on a cartographers dream. So so clear I could not believe what I was seeing.

I am sure I notice such wonders more now that I know I will not be able to enter into such an appreciate realm as my Alzheimer’s progresses but for the moment I count my blessings and enjoy such moments

The only sadness is when I woke CH to show him he said. Well darling I cannot really see it any more like you can. He did tell me though that Luna should be even better tonight providing the skies remain clear. My quest for the day is sourcing a small telescope. I am sure someone in the house will have one somewhere

Ever notice how calming a silvered world is? Something we all need in our uncertain times

Sorry for the waffle.

Oh Maw I do hope it was only your dignity which was dented.
A sad day for you. A friend of mine was unable to attend her own mother’s funeral yesterday.

Wishing Boris well today and I hope everyone has the best day they can.

Morning all,

Oh dear Maw that sounds like you took quite a fall, thank goodness for squishy milk cartons. I hope you recover quickly. Sometimes I think the shock of a fall is almost worse than the physical results.

Thanks for the recommendation NannyT , I feel for the poor lad. He's always had delicate skin so this came as no surprise really. He facetimed me last night, he has dug all his woolly gloves out I have knitted him and is now wearing them whenever he goes outside ( which is only really to the front garden lol) and when he comes in they go straight in the washing machine - great solution he thought !!

We had some sad news also yesterday, our best man of some 46 years friendship passed away on Sunday night. Not coronavirus related , he simply got up in the night and had a massive heart attack and passed away immediately. We were so pleased that last summer we took the trouble to meet up and spent a lovely afternoon reminiscing with him and his wife. Another link to our past gone . So sad.

Looking at some of the vitriol out there this morning I shall be staying mostly in the kitchen, I shouldn't be ( but I am !) stunned at some peoples sheer inability to show compassion for another human being.

Happy day all !!

Izabella , I was wandering around in the night and share your experience of the Moon ! but lack your way with words xxx
Maw it is a bit scary when we can't get up from the floor !

I was amazed by the moon too, as I wandered about in the night. It got very hot here last night - these super efficient homes are all very well!

Morning ladies, fresh croissants with a selection of preserves for a late breakfast or elevenses to make up for my absence yesterday.

I hope you're feeling better after your fall and difficult day yesterday Maw.

"Not wash on Sunday" reminded me of how my poor mum got into bother with her future m.i.l. My mum was 'caught' washing my dad's sister's hair by my mum to make her feel better during 'her time of the month'! My gran was lovely but had some strange ideas.

That's great news Susan I hope the plan has helped to put all your minds at rest and that Henry responds well.

I'm with you there N&G I was both shocked and upset by some of what I've read this morning.

Thank goodness we have this warm, caring and friendly kitchen to meet.

Stay safe everyone TOYA

Maw I think the squishy milk bottle may well have saved you from a Colles fracture. I know from experience it takes a while to get up!

I have been trying on and off for a week to get a Morrison's slot and I have actually managed it for Wednesday 22nd of this month I think mid-afternoon. I cannot believe it. Simple things put a smile on my face.